We’re barely halfway through this season of AMA Pro Motocross and we’ve already seen a boatload of surprises and plot twists. And at the Southwick National it was more of the same type of unpredictability and excitement that only exist in this sport. To try to make better sense of the wildness that was Southwick, we sent our questions to former pro and NBC on-track analyst, Jason Thomas.
Southwick is the sandiest track on the circuit and it shapes up differently than all the others. As a result, how much more important is fitness here?
It’s very important, and especially on warmer days like Saturday. Tracks like Southwick don’t present many opportunities to rest. The sand is constantly pulling the bike this way and that, forcing riders to squeeze the motorcycle tightly. The sand is also heavy, requiring constant throttle application to continue forward. A harder packed track like Washougal allows the bike to coast or flow more easily and riders can relax in smooth areas. Hot sand races will expose you if you aren’t fit, period. It’s happened to me before and it’s not fun.
There are always a handful of local riders who set eyebrow raising times in qualifying. This year, for example Larry Fortin of Tolland, Connecticut, was fourth overall in 250 qualifying. Local knowledge can be important, but how can it make such a huge difference at Southwick?
It’s not so much the local knowledge as it is the first B practice of the morning. The track is perfectly smooth and the berms are perfect for railing at high speed. The locals do know the track, yes, but if they were in the A group, they would not be in the top five qualifying times. This has long been a Southwick dynamic and likely isn’t ever changing with the same qualifying format in place. The 450’s are a little tougher for the B group to pull this off in the odd year when 450’s go first, but it can happen. The Jett’s of the world are just freaks of nature and can overcome even the smooth track dynamic almost without fail (note: Sacha Coenen did also quite easily).
Levi Kitchen was exceptional in the first moto after crashing early and charging to second, but fourth was the best he could manage in the second moto. Is that because he was tired from his hero ride in the first moto?
I do think he was gassed in the second one. He admitted as much on the podium, which I respect. All riders know how they were feeling late in the moto, whether they admit it on national TV or not. As mentioned above, if your fitness still needs work, Southwick will let you know without a doubt.
Sacha Coenen was out of control on the first lap of the first 250 moto. He saved near-crashes approximately 783 times! How does he do this? Is saving it a skill riders even work on?
I don’t think this is a skill you want to practice. The only way to practice it would be to put yourself in harm’s way which is asking for crashes and injury. Part of it is just blind luck, because Sacha hits the ground a lot. I am not a believer that this level of risk taking is sustainable long-term. Double that disbelief when moving to a 450.
Sacha wasn’t able to save it when he went down hard in the second moto, but he still managed to remount and win the moto. Unfortunately, afterward it was immediately obvious he’d hurt something somewhere in his shoulder area. Are you surprised he kept pushing for the win after hurting himself, especially when he’s leading the MX2 points?
That was all adrenaline. I think if he hadn’t been winning, say he’s in sixth, I think he immediately pulls in. The chance to go 1-1 was worth the push it seemed. Now the big question is how much damage he did and what Foxhill will look like this coming weekend. There will be a lot of clamoring tomorrow between KTM North America, KTM in Austria, and DeCarli Racing in Italy. This is exactly what KTM was terrified of.
The other Coenen, Lucas, also crashed hard. Break down what went wrong for Lucas in that first 450 moto.
I immediately thought the motorcycle had an issue which I have not seen confirmed. In any case, he endo’d off that fast single and had a huge get off accordingly. He seemed a little woozy when he got up and I would guess that was enough to end the experiment for the day. It seemed catastrophic at the time but after Sacha’s injury, maybe it could have been worse.
Hunter and Jett Lawrence have been going back and forth this summer and it continued at Southwick. Hunter won after Jett crashed while leading in the first moto, then Jett won when Hunter crashed while leading the second moto. Jett leaves with the points lead, but who leaves with more momentum?
I think Hunter should feel confident but it’s not one-sided either way. The big variable here is still Jett’s foot. He’s tired of talking about it but it’s the biggest story in the sport for now. Whether or not he wins this championship feels very much about how he is able to deal with that or not. Hunter is the best he has ever been but if Jett is 100 percent fit, I still pick him to win any race on Earth. He’s earned that right in my mind.
Jorge Prado put in a run on Haiden Deegan late in the second moto for second but it didn’t last long. Southwick isn’t a track where Deegan is especially fast, were you surprised when Deegan was able to fend Prado off, seemingly so easily?
Deegs and his crew are great at reducing or negating vulnerabilities. They have systematically done this since he turned pro. Southwick was a weak spot and showed in 2023. Ever since, they have taken steps to get better in the sand. So, in that light, I wasn’t shocked to see him in the fight. This is what they do. Haiden is very polarizing and much of that is intentional but the effort behind the scenes is undeniable.
